Year in Review: Andrus is the sort of player about whom, even five years ago, it might've been hard to get super excited. The orthodox sabermetrician would've looked at his .322 wOBA, his .106 ISO, and said something like, "Serviceable, but not extraordinary." Sure, there'd be some recognition of his fielding reputation, but anything more than that would be difficult to support. Owing to recent developments in fielding metrics, however, we're now able to get some idea of the value that a superior defender like Andrus can offer. Specifically, UZR suggests that Andrus was worth 10.7 runs (about a win) above average. John Dewan rated Andrus similarly, at 14 Fielding Runs Saved.

The Year Ahead: Fielding performance and overall value are one thing; fantasy performance is quite another. In the typical 12-team, 5x5 format, Andrus was right on the fringe of relevancy in 2009. Some of that can be attributed to Andrus batting ninth in the Rangers order in about three-quarters of the games he played (while batting second for most of the remaining games). Over the course of a season, a No. 2 hitter averages close to 150 more plate appearances than a nine hitter – or, about a single PA per game. If Andrus returns to the nine spot, that's an immediate handicap. But if he bats second, as he did for most of September, his counting numbers will see an appreciable boost – one that should make him a top 12 fantasy shortstop. (Carson Cistulli)

Profile: Q: What did Juan Pierre, Chone Figgins, and Cesar Izturis do in 2010 that Elvis Andrus did not do? A: Hit a home run. Yes, it's a fact: among qualified batters, only Andrus and Nyjer Morgan failed to hit at least one ball out of the park. Between that and the fact that he took almost all of his 674 plate appearances from the lead-off spot, it's no wonder that Andrus recorded a mere 35 RBI. Nor ought fantasy owners expect dramatic improvements in either category. Andrus's value -- what he has of it -- comes from his spot in the lineup, his improving plate discipline, and his speed afoot. Something around 30-plus stolen bases and maybe 90 runs scored wouldn't be unexpected. Given that he won't even turn 23 until August 26th, an improvement of approach -- and hence of his career batting mark of .266 -- is also a distinct possibility. (Carson Cistulli)

The Quick Opinion: Is still quite young (just 23 in August) so any amount of development is still possible, but most likely profiles as a high-SB guy with decent averages and run numbers, but with poor marks in HRs and RBIs.

Profile: Andrus does two things extremely well, steal bases and score runs. Among shortstops only Jose Reyes scored more runs and only Reyes and Bonifacio stole more bases. His average is middling-to-poor and he has very little power. Despite stealing 30-plus bases in each of his three seasons he very rarely hits a triple. He’s been a bit of an anomaly the past two seasons, posting a higher OPS on the road then at hitter-friendly Arlington (not that you’re drafting him for his OPS prowess). He’ll be atop the Rangers potent lineup once again, and unless they suddenly morph into the Seattle Mariners, they figure to be amongst the league leaders in runs scored. He’s a good $15, 5th-6th round value. (Erik Hahmann)

The Quick Opinion: Don’t overspend if shortstops fly off the board early. He’s a good player but far from elite, even at his position. If he keeps his OBP in the .340-.350 range then 40 stolen bases and 90 runs scored are well within his reach.

Profile: It’s easy to forget that Elvis Andrus is just 24 years old, so there is plenty of reason to believe we’ve yet to the see the best he can offer. While he probably won’t develop home run power like most players do as they enter their prime years, added strength and skill should help Andrus collect more doubles and triples, as well as raise his batting average on balls in play. Andrus was a top-12 shortstop in 2012, and odds are he’ll enter the top-10 in 2013. His skillset is typically overvalued by a couple owners in every league, so be sure to be reasonable when bidding for his services. If the price hits $20, walk away. (Zach Sanders)

The Quick Opinion: Elvis Andrus is just 24 years old and possesses great speed, but his skill set often goes overvalued in drafts. If the price hits $20, walk away.

Profile: Texas' Elvis has become a known predictable commodity with little down- or upside. His range over his first five season has been fairly consistent: zero to six homers, .265 to .286 batting average, 21 to 42 stolen bases, 145 to 158 games. So Bad Andrus would be zero home runs, a .265 AVG and 21 steals while Best Andrus would be six home runs, .286 AVG and 42 SBs. He has been a fixture at the top of the Rangers lineup and I don't expect his role to change anytime soon. Additionally, he will put up those stats over an entire season since he is has been able to maintain his health. While I think he is a safe bet, I am going to pick at his game a bit. His walk to strikeout ratio has been declining the past two seasons from .76 to .59 to .54. The decline can be attributed at least partially to a decline in contact outside the strike zone (74% to 72% to 69%). Teams have figured out they need to pitch him outside and he is chasing. It would be nice to see this trend end. He should be owned all formats with his ability to put up good numbers from the shortstop position, but be careful how much you spend. There isn't much upside here. (Jeff Zimmerman)

The Quick Opinion: Elvis Andus has been the picture of consistency since he has joined the league. I would expect a .275 batting average, 30 stolen bases and few home runs, which just about describes his production every season so far.

Profile: Andrus' stolen base totals have jumped up and down since 2011, and 2014 proved to be another one of those downturn years. He posted the lowest success rate of his career, he hit just one triple and his speed score fell to a career low. It all suggests that the 26-year-old's speed has waned and a return to the 40+ steal level of 2013 is looking like a longshot. A healthy Shin-Soo Choo back in the leadoff spot should help Andrus' runs batted in total rebound, as he was stuck behind Leonys Martin and his sub-.310 OBP while Choo was absent. Andrus' whiff and strikeout rates have been remarkably consistent, but his walk rate has dipped for four straight seasons. A rebound in OBP back into the .340 neighborhood would boost his stolen base attempts and give him a better chance of stealing 30+ bases again. For a hitter whose value almost solely relies on his willingness to steal and success rate in doing so, he comes with risk, especially if his days of stealing 30 bases is indeed over. (Mike Podhorzer)

The Quick Opinion: Andrus' main fantasy asset -- his speed -- appears to be waning, given declines in several telling metrics. His batting average should rebound somewhat after a career low mark, but he's a one-trick pony with the risk that comes along with such a reliance on speed.

Profile: Andrus put a stop to a multi year speed decline in 2015, and while it didn't bounce back, simply stemming the tide was somewhat encouraging. He stole 25 bases in 34 attempts, and while the decrease in attempts is a moderate concern, his speed score ticked back up slightly. Outside of the speed, Andrus' season was a mixed bag in terms of projecting him moving forward. He traded a lot of ground balls for fly balls, nearly cutting his ground ball to fly ball ratio in half (2.81 to 1.48), and that change included a spike in hard hit percentage from 20.4% to 26.7%, where he sat in 2012 and 2013. The issue with these changes is that Andrus doesn't have a good deal of pop, and all of those additional well hit fly balls only produced seven home runs (and no change to other extra-base hits). They also may have cost him some hits, and his batting average on balls in play somewhat expectedly slipped to a career low of .283, bringing his batting average (.258, also a career low) with it. For someone who walks a below average amount and doesn't own much power, anyway, fantasy owners would surely prefer a move back to his normal ground ball profile and the additional times on base that might come with it. (Blake Murphy)

The Quick Opinion: Back-to-back seasons without the stolen base totals that made him a one category asset leave Andrus outside of the top ten at the position, and a change in batted ball profile didn't result in enough power to make up for it. He's a safe bet for 20-plus steals but that remains his only category of value.

Profile: Throughout the early portion of his career, Andrus was considered one of the best shortstops in baseball. His precocious performances had observers excited about the future in Texas. Andrus never actually got any better after his rookie season. Sure, the batting averages on balls in play fluctuated and the walk and strikeout rates wandered a bit. However, Andrus was basically the same hitter and fielder every season between 2009 and 2015. His most recent campaign was different. For the first time, he posted an above average batting line (.302/.362/.439, good for 12% better than the adjusted league average according to weighted runs created). He continued to steal bases in his age-27 season and popped a career-best eight home runs. Perhaps surprisingly - after all, he is a slappy contact hitter - it was also his first season batting better than .286. Andrus' success was overshadowed by the ridiculous new power norms set in 2016. The shortstop position in particular features some of the most talented players in baseball. Andrus pales in comparison. Do note his -15.4 UZR. It could be a one-year blip or a sign that it's time to convert him to a super utility role. (Brad Johnson)

The Quick Opinion: Andrus had his best season at the plate and his worst season in the field. His batting exploits went largely unnoticed as bigger, younger men mashed dozens of taters. Despite his successful 2016 campaign, there are red flags in the profile.

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